The Playwright

“Anonymous”, written and directed by Gregg Garner, is a drama with emotive dialogue that challenges viewers to explore new possibilities in our lives as adults, even with so-called baggage. In “Anonymous”, strangers in a support group reluctantly stumble into conversations about each character’s identity. Through the witness of such raw, potent material, the play illuminates questions of what defines people, what is or should be the human response to loss, and the potential to recover from mistakes.

ALIEN: The Musical explores the historical amnesia related to American immigration, highlighting the political and social realities related to emigration through themes of class struggle, race, and power. Gregg Garner authored and produced ALIEN: The Musical, which premiered in December of 2014 at The Arts at Center Street, followed by performances in Ohio, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, TN, and at Vanderbilt University as a part of the Chancellor’s Lecture Series in the Spring of 2016.

Set in the 80's, Janet has invited her former co-worker Martin, a high class executive, to a dinner party where she has plans to impress him with where her life is now. Her sister-in-law, Madge, has also invited her friend Lisa, in hopes of making a love connection, neither her or Janet knowing that Lisa is Martin's overworked secretary. Plans are disrupted when some 'power issues' emerge and the 'Light Guy' is called in to fix the problem. Problems and personalities come out in the dark and everyone comes to see, there's more than a 'power issue' to be resolved.

Real Meaningful is an original one act play written and directed by Gregg Garner. An entertaining and thought-provoking piece, “Real Meaningful” awakens the audience to consider the conflicting values of pleasure and significance. In this act, “Waffle Hotel,” a casual diner, provides the setting for comedic dialogue addressing issues of racism, ignorance, sexuality and responsibility. “Real Meaningful” both entertains its audience, and extends the invitation to evaluate one’s ethical standpoints.

MENTAL examines, through the lens of one family’s dynamics, the functional dysfunctionality of the human experience, and the ways in which people choose to navigate life’s turbulence. This original work was written and produced by Gregg Garner first in 2016 at The Arts at Center Street, and returned in the Fall of 2017.

BREATHE, A New Musical follows the story of a brilliant physician on a mission to save his daughter’s life. Caught in the tension of negotiating the rules set by the administrative powers and his own determination to do what it takes to preserve life, Dr. Walker is faced with decisions that will alter the course of his future. Written and produced by Gregg Garner, BREATHE is an original work, which premiered at The Arts at Center Street in March of 2017, and played again in November 2017.

HOMELESS premiered at The Arts at Center Street in June 2017, an original work by Gregg Garner. Funded by the Tennessee Arts Commission, this play was described by one reviewer as “deliciously disorienting.” The main character, Nod, is a deeply philosophical individual who began his early adult life as a promising young writer, but over time became fragmented by injuries sustained throughout his developmental years. The show gently and powerfully explores the theme of homelessness, leaving viewers with much to consider and discuss.